Automotive

Once home to the Detroit Lions, monster truck rallies and fun, the Pontiac Silverdome is now mostly just home to recalled TDI Volkswagen and Audi cars and SUVs that were affected by the Volkswagen diesel scandal. The cars are stored at the decaying stadium's parking lot while the automaker develops a way to make the cars meet emission standards. Surprising absolutely no one, dozens of these remotely stored VWs have been discovered stolen, then given fake titles and shipped out of state.

According to the Detroit Free Press, about 60 vehicles were stolen. Authorities in Michigan and Kentucky notified officials in Indiana about the ongoing theft ring, and the Indiana State Police have recovered 22 of the stolen cars, with 12 coming from an auto auction in Clarksville, Indiana. It’s speculated that even more of these stolen cars are stashed in southern Indiana.

Earlier this year, the fleet of stashed VWs faced a different kind of problem -- municipal struggles. The stored cars broke a series of safety and zoning codes while parked in the stadium’s parking lot.

We hope that Volkswagen increases its security at the Silverdome; in the meantime, if you stumble across an older VW TDI at the local auto auction, buyer beware.